Take your taco nights to the next level with this festive shredded chicken taco recipe, featuring salsa marinated chicken, fresh pico de gallo, and homemade guacamole.
Jump to RecipeTaco Tuesday was a weekly staple for both of us growing up. These nostalgic shredded chicken tacos are an homage to the kinds of taco nights we’d often enjoy at home, with plenty of toppings for DIY-style assembly at the kitchen table.
When you’re looking for quick, easy, and healthy shredded chicken tacos to make for dinner, you’ll want to try this recipe!
Shredded Chicken Tacos Ingredients
These homemade Mexican shredded chicken tacos are easy to make and fun for the whole family. With a little prep work, tacos are one of the best foods to serve buffet style, letting everyone assemble their own plate. Just make the following ingredients from scratch, or get store-bought versions, and your weeknight dinner is set:
- Mexican shredded chicken (try our salsa-marinated chicken recipe here)
- Pico de gallo
- Guacamole
- Refried beans
- Street taco size flour tortillas (4-inch)
How To Prepare Mexican Shredded Chicken Tacos
To make this shredded chicken taco recipe as easy as possible, we like to use a simple yet flavorful chicken marinade made with jarred salsa, lime juice, and a few seasonings. Marinating, cooking, and shredding the chicken is the only real cooking you’ll have to do for this dinner! Here’s how it’s done:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Combine all ingredients for the chicken in a large bowl, then toss gently until the chicken is coated evenly.
- Marinate at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Next, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Transfer the chicken to the baking sheet, letting any excess liquid drain off the chicken into the bowl first.
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Finally, transfer the cooked chicken to a large cutting board and shred using two forks.
Once the chicken is prepared, all that’s left are the toppings and sides. For fresh and easy homemade toppings, check out our recipes for homemade guacamole and pico de gallo. But if you’re short on time or just don’t feel like going through the effort, you can pick these up at your local grocery store.
How To Serve Mexican Shredded Chicken Street Tacos
When it comes to taco nights, we love to go all out. This means dinner often includes all of the additional toppings, special hot sauces, homemade tortilla chips, and (of course) margaritas!
Here are some optional side dishes and additional toppings you can serve with these chicken tacos:
- Shredded Mexican cheese
- Salsa
- Sour cream
- Hot sauce
- Homemade tortilla chips
- Shredded lettuce
- Cilantro-lime rice
Storing & Reheating Leftovers
Store leftover Mexican shredded chicken in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store any additional toppings like pico, guacamole, and refried beans in separate containers for up to 3 days.
We recommend reheating the chicken in the microwave for convenience. Microwave for about 1 to 2 minutes per serving (1 serving = about 3 tacos), and enjoy round 2 of taco night with basically zero effort!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This shredded chicken taco recipe is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner, whether it’s just for you or for the whole family. Just prep the chicken, guacamole, and pico de gallo and let everyone assemble their own tacos!
Whether you’re looking for a more authentic Mexican chicken taco or a new recipe to try for the upcoming taco Tuesday, these shredded chicken tacos will definitely hit the spot. Try our recipe and let us know what you think by rating, commenting, and sharing below!
Do you love Mexican food? You may like these recipes, too:
- Chicken Burritos Ranchero
- Tiny Tacos With Spicy Dipping Trio
- Carne Asada Tacos with Avocado Lime Crema
- Baked Chicken Tacos
- Taco of the Month
To browse more of our latest recipes and seasonal dishes, visit our homepage here.
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Shredded Chicken Tacos
Equipment
- Taco holders optional
Ingredients
- Mexican Shredded Chicken see below
- 4 servings Pico de Gallo*
- 4 servings Homemade Guacamole*
- 16 ounces refried beans
- 12 street taco-size tortillas
- Tortilla chips
- optional toppings and sides: shredded Mexican blend cheese, salsa, sour cream, hot sauce
Mexican Shredded Chicken
- 1 pound raw chicken tenders
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup medium picante sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground red cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Prepare Mexican Shredded Chicken, Pico de Gallo, and Homemade Guacamole and set aside.*
- Heat refried beans according to microwave directions on the can. Set aside.
- Prepare small bowls of toppings and set aside.
- Heat tortillas in the microwave for about 20 to 30 seconds.
- Assemble tacos with refried beans and chicken, then top with guacamole, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, and hot sauce. Serve with chips and salsa on the side!
Mexican Shredded Chicken
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Combine all ingredients for the chicken in a large bowl, then toss gently using two forks until the chicken is coated evenly.
- Let sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Transfer chicken to the baking sheet one piece at a time, first letting any excess liquid drain off the chicken into the bowl.
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
- Transfer cooked chicken to a large cutting board and shred immediately using two forks.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.
Looking for kitchen inspiration? Head over to our shop to see what we cook with every day, plus recommendations for foodie gifts and eco-friendly products.
If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.
Looking for kitchen inspiration? Head over to our shop to see what we cook with every day, plus recommendations for foodie gifts and eco-friendly products.